Things to do in Whangamata

Swim, surf or just sit on Whangamata Beach

Start with the obvious. Whangamata's main beach is a long, gently curving stretch of white sand facing the Pacific, with sand-bottom surf that suits everyone from first-timers to the serious crowd chasing the Whangamata Bar — the break at the harbour entrance that made the town famous among New Zealand surfers. The beach is patrolled by the Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club over summer, so swim between the flags, and if you've never stood on a board there are surf lessons running from the beach through the warmer months.

If surfing isn't your thing, the beach is just as good for a long barefoot walk, a game of beach cricket or an afternoon under an umbrella with a book. Dogs are welcome outside the summer restriction hours — check the council signs on the way down.

Paddle into the hidden lagoon at Whenuakura (Donut Island)

Whenuakura — better known as Donut Island — is the little island off the southern end of the beach with a secret inside: a collapsed sea cave has left a sheltered turquoise lagoon in the middle, open to the sky and reached through a narrow gap in the rock. It's one of the most photographed spots on the Coromandel, for good reason.

You get there by kayak or paddleboard from the beach. The island is a wildlife sanctuary, so landing isn't permitted — you paddle in, float around the lagoon, and paddle out again. Go on a calm day with a small swell; if there's any real sea running the entrance gets tricky, which is exactly why guided kayak tours run from Whangamata. Early morning is usually glassiest.

Walk out to Hauturu (Clark Island) at low tide

The other island, Hauturu — Clark Island — is the one you can reach without a boat. At low tide the sand and rock between the beach and the island dries out enough to walk across, and the rock pools around its base are full of crabs, anemones and small fish, which makes it a favourite with kids.

Check the tide times before you go, head out on a falling tide and give yourself plenty of time to get back — the water comes in faster than you think. Like Whenuakura, Hauturu is a reserve, so stay on the shoreline and leave everything where you found it.

Kayak, paddleboard or swim the Whangamata Harbour

On the other side of town, the harbour is the calm counterpart to the surf beach: a wide, sheltered estuary with sandbanks, mangroves and water flat enough for beginners on a paddleboard. At high tide on a hot day the swimming is lovely. Hire a kayak or SUP in town, launch from the boat ramp or the harbour-side beaches, and explore the upper reaches where it's quiet enough to spot herons and kingfishers.

On a still evening the sunset over the harbour hills is one of the best views in Whangamata, and the walk along the harbour edge is flat, easy and pram-friendly.

Go fishing — from the wharf, the surf or a charter boat

Whangamata is a fishing town. The easy option is a line off the wharf, or surfcasting from the beach in the evening for kahawai and snapper. If you want to go further, charter boats run out to Tūhua (Mayor Island) and the Alderman Islands, where the fishing is some of the best on the east coast and you've a fair chance of seeing dolphins on the way. Over summer the game-fishing fleet heads out after marlin and tuna.

There's a well-used boat ramp on the harbour if you've brought your own boat. It gets busy on big summer weekends, so launch early.

Escape to Opoutere Beach and the Wharekawa sandspit

About fifteen minutes north of Whangamata, Opoutere is the beach for when you want nobody around. Park, walk a few minutes through pine forest, and come out on a long, empty, white-sand beach backed by dunes. The sandspit at the southern end, where the Wharekawa Harbour meets the sea, is a wildlife refuge for the endangered New Zealand dotterel — give the roped-off nesting areas a wide berth in spring and summer and you'll likely see the birds anyway.

The harbour side is good for a calm paddle or a cockle hunt at low tide. There are no shops at Opoutere, so bring everything you need.

Whiritoa Beach, the blowhole and the lagoon

Head south instead and you reach Whiritoa, a smaller surf beach with a different character — steeper, wilder, and a favourite with bodyboarders. The walk north along the sand and over the rocks brings you to the blowhole, which fires impressively when there's a decent swell running at mid-to-high tide (keep well back from the edge). At the southern end, a freshwater lagoon behind the beach is a safe, sheltered spot for small kids to paddle.

Whiritoa is patrolled at peak summer. Outside those times take care, because the rip can be strong.

Walk to Wentworth Falls

The best bush walk close to town. From the DOC campsite at the end of Wentworth Valley Road, a well-formed track follows the river up through native forest — nīkau, rimu, tree ferns — to a lookout over the two-tiered Wentworth Falls. Allow around two and a half to three hours return at an easy pace, with footbridges over the river crossings and a stretch or two where you'll want proper shoes.

It's shaded most of the way, which makes it a good option on a hot afternoon when the beach is roasting, and there are swimming holes along the river for a cold dip on the way back.

Explore the old gold mining tunnels at Broken Hills

Half an hour north near Hikuai, Broken Hills is what's left of an 1890s gold mining settlement, and it's one of the Coromandel's great family adventures. A network of tracks loops through regenerating bush past old batteries, water races and mine entrances, and the highlight is the Collins Drive tunnel — around 500 metres long and pitch black, so bring a proper torch.

Kids love it, cautious adults tolerate it, and everyone comes out the other end grinning. There's a DOC campsite and river swimming on the Tairua River by the car park.

Play a round at Whangamata Golf Club (it's next door)

Whangamata Golf Club is right beside Williamson Park — you can see the fairways from the cafe tables. It's a friendly, well-kept course on gently rolling ground with the beach on one side and bush on the other, the kind of club where visitors are welcome and nobody minds if you're more enthusiastic than accurate. Club hire is available, and if you tee off in the morning you'll be done by lunch.